Tenancy deposits in Southall are more than 40% higher than the national average, statistics released by The Deposit Protection Service (TheDPS) have shown.

By law, landlords must submit deposits from tenants to an authorised tenancy deposit protection scheme, and those submitted to The DPS for properties with Southall postcodes between July 2014 and June 2015 averaged £1,190.28.

This works out at £359.15 (or 43.21%) more than the national average (£831.13).

Julian Foster, managing director of The DPS, said: “Tenancy deposits give landlords the security they need while their property is being rented out.

“Tenants are also provided with peace of mind when The DPS protects the money during their tenancy, as it provides free, impartial adjudication if there is a dispute at the end of the tenancy.

“Both landlords and tenants need a deposit protection service that is fast, efficient, clear and communicative, and The DPS has been entrusted with over 3.2m deposits since we launched in 2007.”

The DPS is the only scheme to offer a choice between schemes that are custodial – where it holds the money for the duration of tenancies – and insured – where landlords retain deposits but pay a fee to protect them.